Implants, tools, and methods for sinus lift and lateral ridge augmentation

Abstract

Apparatus is provided that includes a dental implant having a proximal implant end and a lateral external surface. The implant is shaped so as to define a lumen therethrough having a lateral opening through the lateral external surface. The apparatus further includes an applicator, which is removably coupled to the proximal implant end. The applicator includes a delivery tube having a distal tube end that is removably coupled to the implant such that the delivery tube is in fluid communication with the lumen via the lateral opening. Other embodiments are also described.

1. Apparatus comprising:
 a dental implant having a proximal implant end and a lateral external surface, the implant being shaped so as to define a lumen therethrough having a lateral opening through the lateral external surface; and 
 an applicator, which is removably coupled to the proximal implant end, and which comprises a delivery tube having a distal tube end that is removably coupled to the implant such that the delivery tube is in fluid communication with the lumen via the lateral opening, 
 wherein the distal tube end is welded to the implant, and wherein a portion of a wall of the delivery tube is thinner than the wall immediately adjacent to the portion, such that application of a breaking torque to the delivery tube breaks the delivery tube at the thinner portion, thereby decoupling the delivery tube from the implant, wherein the thinner portion is within 3 mm of the distal tube end. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery tube is shaped so as to be circumscribed with a groove that defines the thinner portion. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the applicator is configured to break the delivery tube at the thinner portion by rotating the distal tube end with respect to the lateral opening. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises a lever arm, which is coupled to the delivery tube and arranged to rotate the distal tube end with respect to the lateral opening. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the applicator comprises a rotatable surface accessible from a proximal end of the applicator, which rotatable surface is rotatable with respect to a portion of the applicator, rotation of which rotatable surface rotates the distal tube end by extending the lever arm. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises:
 a connecting screw, which removably couples the applicator to the proximal implant end; and 
 a rotatable surface accessible from a proximal end of the applicator, which rotatable surface is rotatable with respect to a portion of the applicator, 
 wherein the applicator is configured such that rotation of the rotatable surface both (a) applies the breaking torque to the delivery tube that breaks the delivery tube at the thinner portion, and (b) rotates the screw to decouple the applicator from the proximal implant end. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, when the delivery tube is coupled to the implant, a portion of the delivery tube runs alongside the implant such that a greatest distance between a longitudinal axis of the implant and a surface of the portion of the delivery tube furthest from the longitudinal axis is less than 6 mm. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the applicator comprises an applicator body, which comprises a rotatable surface accessible from a proximal end of the applicator, rotation of which rotatable surface with respect to a portion of the applicator body causes the delivery tube to become decoupled from the implant, and wherein the applicator is shaped so as to define a stabilization surface accessible from the proximal end of the applicator, application to which stabilization surface of a stabilizing force stabilizes the implant during rotation of the rotatable surface. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the rotatable surface and the stabilization surface are configured to facilitate on-axis rotation of the rotatable surface, thereby minimizing any off-axis force that the rotation may cause the apparatus to apply to its surroundings. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising a stabilization tool, which is configured to be removably coupled to the stabilization surface of the applicator body, and to apply the stabilizing force to the stabilization surface. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the delivery tube is sufficiently thin such that the application of the breaking torque of less than 50 Newton centimeters breaks the delivery tube at the thinner portion. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the lateral external surface that includes the lateral opening is shaped so as to define a screw thread comprising a raised helical rib going around the implant, and wherein the thinner portion is recessed into the lateral external surface below the raised helical rib. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the delivery tube has a proximal tube end, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a flexible supply tube coupled to the proximal tube end. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 providing (a) a dental implant having a proximal implant end and a lateral external surface, the implant being shaped so as to define a lumen therethrough having a lateral opening through the lateral external surface, and (b) an applicator, which is removably coupled to the proximal implant end, and which includes a delivery tube having a distal tube end that is removably coupled to the implant such that the delivery tube is in fluid communication with the lumen via the lateral opening, wherein the distal tube end is initially welded to the implant, wherein a portion of a wall of the delivery tube is thinner than the wall immediately adjacent to the portion, and wherein the thinner portion is within 3 mm of the distal tube end; 
 forming a bore in an alveolar ridge; 
 inserting the implant into the bore; 
 injecting a fluid through the lumen; and 
 decoupling the delivery tube from the implant, 
 wherein decoupling the delivery tube from the implant comprises breaking the delivery tube at the thinner portion by applying a breaking torque to the delivery tube. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14 , wherein breaking the delivery tube at the thinner portion comprises using the applicator to break the delivery tube at the thinner portion by rotating the distal tube end with respect to the lateral opening. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the applicator includes an applicator body, which includes a rotatable surface accessible from a proximal end of the applicator, 
 wherein decoupling the delivery tube from the implant comprises rotating the rotatable surface with respect to a portion of the applicator body, 
 wherein the applicator is shaped so as to define a stabilization surface accessible from the proximal end of the applicator, and 
 wherein rotating the rotatable surface comprises stabilizing the implant by applying a stabilizing force to the stabilization surface.